The Price of Happiness
by CassieAndMarcus
Summary: M/L. AU. Max and Logan have a wonderful family, but the urge for all to fulfill their selfish desires becomes overpowering. Sometimes happiness isn't always free, everyone can pay for their desires. M/L. M for Themes&Language.
1. Chapter 1

**The Price of Happiness**

Disclaimer: C&M do not own Dark Angel, clearly it was in the hands of Cameron and Eglee, we're just fans simply, so do not go on and sue us, it aiint worth your time.

_Authors: CassieAndMarcus._

**AN: OK, this story is a sort of sequel, set about a year after the events in Calling Me Evie. Reading that story isn't necessary, but it will help a lot with the background, and will give you a greater understanding of Evie's mindset. Hope you like it! Of course, reviews are extremely welcomed; we've worked very hard on this, because we care about you all so much… **

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Chapter One

FLASHBACK

Ten months after Evie's birth...

_Max had been surprised when it struck. It had been only three months after she had given birth to her daughter, and she was still nursing. The little one had had a horrible first month, sick all the time, Logan and her were running ragged, they barely slept, and Max even found herself on the edge of her patience and endurance. When the cursed bar code appeared on the back of Evie's neck, Max was crushed; while she was relieved that Evie was finally physically stable, she loathed the idea of her daughter being bound to Manticore in any way. But amidst all the drama, the insane hours, and the occasional nervous breakdown on Logan's part, Max was actually happy, for the first time in her life._

_So it came as a big surprise to her to find herself in heat again._

_She was watching Evie sleep in the middle of the night. Max had found herself tortured with drowsiness and sleep had overcome her. She jolted out of her uneasy sleep, dewed in sweat. Flushed and unnerved from a dream she could barely remember, Max thought about Logan...and It _did_ involve Logan, of that she was certain. Thinking about him sent a rush of blood to her face...and to other places in her body. She let her mind wander with lascivious thoughts of the man sleeping in the other room. On _their_ bed. In hindsight, she didn't realized she was in heat because...well, because she wanted Logan all the time. She lusted after him every time she saw him transfer to or from his chair, every time she helped him do his ROM exercises, each and every time she 'accidentally' caught him leaving the bathroom after a shower, wearing nothing but a towel… and those eyes...And the raging desire that pooled low on her belly was just for him. It wasn't any different that the other - many other – times she just gave in to her lust and jumped him, as she had wanted to do so many times in the past four years. So when she found herself prowling towards the bedroom while shedding her clothes in a careless path, she never really considered it strange. Nor did Logan. He didn't mind being awoken at three AM to find himself with an armful of naked Max._

_It wasn't until the next day, when she woke up to Evie's indignant cries for attention that Max smelled the pheromones in the house, in the bedroom and all over the sheets. By the time Logan and her pieced together the events of the previous night and realized that she had indeed gone into heat, it was already a little too late to be worried about safe sex._

_Of course the world had to screw them again._

_At first they told themselves that it would be alright, that the chances of her getting pregnant again were low, that they were OK. But having gone through a hellish first month after she went into heat the last time, Max decided to play it safe, and consulted Dr. Shankar. It took only and hour to establish that she was, indeed, pregnant again. It scared her like nothing else._

_Fuck._

_She took a long time going back home. _

Home..._it hit her then. Logan and Evie WERE home for her, no matter where they were. And she had no doubt that, despite all the problems that a little (OK, a LOT) of sex had brought her,they would be OK together. And as hard as she tried to stop it, she couldn't keep the smile from her face all the way back to the house._

_Logan did the guy thing, of course, and freaked about it. But in a geeky, cute way. After he stopped hyperventilating he went all 'Eyes Only' and started going over the logistics of having two genetically enhanced children about the house, plus a soon-to-be cranky and craving mother. She was so proud of him then. Her man, the cyber crusader. Then he had to go all macho and make a crack about not having to worry about protection for the next eight months. That earned him his first slap on the head. The first of many, as it turned out. Original Cindy was right, men were dogs. Even the best of them..._

_Weeks flew by, morning sickness gave way to bizarre cravings, Max traded her patent low-slung leather pants for Logan's gym pants, and life went on. Evie got bigger, Logan besotted with 'his girls' and Max was just...happy._

_It was a night well into her twenty-eight week that all she had known went to hell. Of course…_

_Max was sleeping every night, sometimes all night, and it surprised her when she woke up at three in the morning. The reason became apparent as a stab of pain coursed through her stomach, leaving her panting and curled at the edge of the bed. As she tried to stand up to go to the bathroom she discovered the blood seeping from between her legs, and the disturbingly large pool it had left behind on the sheets. Even after everything was over, Max had only vague memories of how things happened, how she ended up in the hospital with a deathly grip on Logan's hand._

_Logan...She knew he was scared, scared for the baby, scared for her, but he remained calm and collected, and stood by her side the whole time. _

_'He is perfect' she had thought. 'He's more scared than me, but he's being strong for me. For both of us.' Not for the first time, she felt she didn't deserve this man, this wonderful, loyal man that had chosen to be at her side no matter what. This man that would put his needs and fears aside so she could lean on him. In the end, it was only his love, his unshakable faith in her that helped pull her through after that night. _

_She had known instantly that something was wrong. Beverly had told them that the placenta had detached, and that her son's birth was imminent. Both Beverly and Dr. Stewart, the OBGyn specialized on high-risk pregnancies had assured them that the baby was mature enough to survive the birth, but they had to perform a cesarean to bring him out. Dr. Stewart also seemed concerned and anxious for Max and the safety of her son. Max had wanted to be awake, she had assured them that she could deal with just local anesthesia, but then she started bleeding again, and had to be rushed to surgery. _

_When she woke, she searched for Logan instinctively, and when she couldn't feel him near, she opened her eyes, which turned to be a painful endeavor. The moment she saw him standing by the window, staring forlornly into the night she knew. _

"_Logan...?" she rasped._

_Logan turned and walked towards her, his face a mask of pain and despair. His green eyes, always so expressive didn't dance anymore._

"_Max I...I'm so sorry...he..." Logan choked a sob and took her hand, "He didn't make it. The doctor said that he was stillborn..." _

"_No...they're wrong, He's alive! I remember...I remember hearing him cry..." Max was sure that she had heard her son cry, even while under anesthesia. She clung to that idea like a lifeline._

"_Oh angel...I'm sorry. But he's gone. I'm so sorry..." His eyes had died, with their child._

_Giving up any pretense of strength left, Logan laid beside her and gathered her in his arms and they grieved together._

_********************************************************_

Max woke up with a start, covered in sweat, and choked back a ragged sob. It had been fifteen years to this day. _Fifteen years…_

Ever since her miscarriage Max slept uneasily. It seemed that every time she closed her eyes, this memory taunted her without regret or sympathy. It continually attacked her when she was most vulnerable.

She covered her tearing eyes with her hands, desperately trying to erase the evidence of her horrible pain and took a stinging breath inward. She choked again. Max, finally realizing Logan's presence beside her, slowly and shakily left the bed. She dragged herself to the window which was full of the black night, and rested her aching forehead against the chilly, smooth glass. Her breath caused a web of fog to jump about the glass around her quivering mouth.

"Happy…" Her voice caught in her throat, "Birthday Benjamin _Cale_…" Her voice finally failed, and became nothing audible to the human ear. _'I love you son…'_

_End chapter one._

To Proceed...

_**Thoughts please? **_

3

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	2. Chapter 2

AN: Sorry for the delay peeps, turns out bot Cassie and I thought the other would be posting... :P Mea Culpa... While we didn't quite make it to the deadline, at least it's still Monday over here. We'll try and have next chapter uploaded whitin two weeks. As always, Read and Review. The little green button and the bottom is your friend!

Darn, I'm such a review wh0r3...

Chapter Two

She didn't move from her spot on the window. A mask of pain was firmly set on her flawless, beautiful face. It gave her a haunting air, an almost intimidating presence; it was an unnerving sight that gave Eva Jace Guevara chills along her spine.

"Mom…" Her voice was quiet; she didn't want to startle Max, if that was possible anyway.

Max didn't attempt to look away from the crawling morning skies; perhaps she figured it was easier looking at the rolling clouds than her child for the moment. Eva stepped forward confused, her eyes searching for a sign, wanting to understand Max's sudden depression.

"Hey…what's so awesome about outside? You've been looking out this window for a long time," Evie calmly spoke and waited for a full reply.

"Hmm…" Max replied, still seemingly captivated by the thick, thunder clouds crawling along the six am. sky.

Eva bit her lip, which then twisted into a small, sneaky smile. "Hey Mother dearest, I'm pregnant."

Max blinked, her eyebrows cocked slightly, her face contorting into thought. "Who's the father?"

Evie huffed exasperated, "A random guy from the streets, I don't remember his name, but I jumped him and we hit it off after that. I'm sure he was about fifty years old and smelled like garlic." She placed a hand on her hip and glared at her Mother across the bedroom. Max paid no attention, even though she felt her child's eyes blazing her.

"Well that's nice, but I'm not going to be the one telling your Father," Max sighed, clearly uninterested.

"Seriously, what's making you so _happy_?" Evie sauntered over to Max and plopped next to her on the window seat. Her face changed into concern then flashed back to curiosity.

"Just…_thinking._ I like to think," Max responded, tearing her eyes away from the bleak world outside the window.

"Nobody thinks that hard, especially someone like you. Please I'm your child, I should know when thinking is not thinking and when thinking turns into some weird, stored away burden. I saw your face, I'm not an idiot."

"I agree you are no dummy."

"Then what is it?"

"Nothing."

"I know you're lying, don't insult me."

"I couldn't insult you anyway Evie," Max's daughter's eyes burned into hers. Max felt herself feel flattered but annoyed at her girl's pestering questions. _Please Evie, back off. I know she cares about me, but still…I just need to get my mind off of things for today. And ANYWAY, I can't tell her what's wrong…she'd pity my ass and it'd upset her too. 'Oh yeah babe, today is the birthday of your dead brother.' No, I think I'll stitch my lips..._

"Fine. I can tell whatever is giving you series baggage is your dealio, I respect that. I just thought you'd actually trust me with it, but I guess not," Evie got up and turned away from Max, clearly trying to pull the guilt trip. It worked, but not well enough. Max wasn't going to spill that easily. Logan strolled in while Evie paced towards the door, with a spark of hurt in her shimmering eyes. She attempted to leave, but clearly he saw her face and questioned her.

"Hey? What's got you so pleasant this morning?" Logan's face was sarcastic, while his eyes showed a different story. He was anxious and caring, always caring and he was damned good at sensing problems with his girls. Eva looked right into them, seeing a painful gleam that was slowly killing the beauty in his pearly green irises.

"Not _you_ too!?" She threw her hands into the air, obviously frustrated with her atypically moody parents.

Logan opened his mouth to protest, but his unruly daughter was already down the hallway, stomping away in a clear sign of protest and frustration. He turned towards his beautiful Max and stared into her eyes, understanding instantly. He felt her pain too, and it hurt him. They would have had another child, if fate wasn't such a bitch. He knew that, she knew that. Evie didn't know that.

"Max, she'll catch on eventually." he offered.

"Yeah, but she doesn't need to know, that was then and she's now. I'm just being a little dramatic right now," Max half frowned.

Logan sat next to her and enveloped her into a loving hold, "We should let this go. It's been fifteen years," Max nodded against his chest, "Oh and another thing, you're entitled to be dramatic. Any Mother is." He kissed her smooth forehead and rocked her slowly in his arms. Max didn't try to protest, just like the night at the hospital, fifteen years ago…

Eva crinkled her chocolate eyebrows while she eavesdropped on her parents talking in their bedroom. She sat in the hallway, a good twenty feet away, listening. She could hear every word, every breath that came from them, thanks to her enhanced senses. No sound in that room was off limits. But it also worked both ways, since her Mom was the giver of her 'talents', she could hear Evie too, well that is, if she wanted.

_Fifteen years ago? What are they talking about? Some bad mojo is going around them right now…I hate it when they don't tell me stuff. Fine, if they don't want to talk, I'm not going to give a shit. Then everything's fine. No problems, no worries… _But in the back of her mind, and mostly in her heart, she knew that wasn't true. She cared, and it frustrated her.

"Whatever," she spat at no one in particular. She stood herself out of her squatting position and headed past the emotion-filled bedroom, while glancing in quickly to see her parents wrapped in a loving hug. She stopped dead.

"I'm leaving," She stuttered.

Logan looked up at her with sincere, pain-filled eyes. "OK, we'll see you later sweetheart. Be safe," He gave his daughter a weak smile, distant and distracted.

Eva scoffed at him, slightly angered, "No way, I'm gonna go and have sex and do drugs and drink TONS of alcohol." She laughed darkly at him while closing the door of the penthouse behind her.

Logan looked at Max, partly stunned and taken aback, but laughed with her at Evie's retort. Some sort of inner fear and awkwardness came out on both of their chuckles. They were afraid of that in fact, but they wouldn't admit that to one another out loud. They were blinded, and naïve, trustful parents. It wasn't that they didn't trust their daughter, no; they didn't trust the world around her. The worst part is they didn't even realize it yet.

"Too much Max in her cocktail." Logan whispered as he kissed Max again. He stretched his back and lifted himself to his feet.

"You would be surprised," Max teased, gazing up at him.

"What?" He quietly asked, slightly curious. He walked out of the room with Max quietly trailing him. Her head was cocked to the side, in a playful and curious manner.

"You'd be surprised on how much Cale is in her cocktail." Max shook her head at her man's naïvete when it came to Evie.

"Even though my daughter is an exact replica of my beautiful and charming soldier?" He stopped and wrapped his arms around Max's waist, pulling her against him. He felt her beautiful lips peck his neck softly.

The front doors slammed open suddenly with a loud bang and there stood Evie, her face a mixture of hurt and confusion.

"You're bipolar! Or just plain crazy!" She stomped towards the rack that held all of the family's coats. She felt her parents' confused gazes from across the room. "I'm getting my coat!" She yanked it clear off the hook with a snapping leather sound. Dust fluttered around in tiny specks from being disturbed from their peaceful slumber. Eva gave them one last glare before leaving again quickly.

"Maybe you're a little right. If she was exactly like you Logan, her face would have been beet red in embarrassment, not fury." Max and Logan chuckled again. Evie was their relief all of the time, they felt blessed to have such a child.

****

Eva glanced both ways before running across the busy street, filled with people and garbage. Her hair flowed behind her as she ran. Her laced-up Converse shoes slapped the wet pavement, and flecks of yesterday's rain water spritzed on the cuffs of her jeans, causing the blue denim to turn a darker shade of black. The black which had also made up the structure of her shoes, were soggy within minutes. But it was Seattle and she was used to trotting around with soaked feet and itchy, damp socks. She sped up her pace.

She didn't want to be late, _again_.

She just hoped that Hal and the others weren't getting angry waiting for her late ass. Especially Hal, she didn't want him to be annoyed with her. She passed a few transsexuals on the streets, and a few hobos which were Seattle's common folk nowadays. They adorned the streets and waved to passers that understood how it was. The street people hardly ever gestured nicely to suits and councilmen. If those men and women were ever lucky enough to get a gesture, it was normally an angry one dealing with, 'the finger.' She got a few of the common waves, and she waved back delving herself into their secret language. She stopped short and fast. Her splattering feet were silenced for a moment. She had reached her destination.

The alley, _their alley_.

A few elementary school kids passed her as she stood there, waving hello. They were on their way to school. Unlike herself, for she hadn't gone to school for the past two weeks. Like she had thought before, she was too good for school, so she skipped. She already knew everything actually worth knowing. She was a transgenic genius. Besides, her teachers didn't care, or her principal. The only people on Earth who could care were her parents. That's why she won't let them know about it.

She turned down the alley. The familiar scent of tobacco wafted to her waiting nostrils. She smiled to herself privately; as if in a personal memory she was recalling. This was her home, all parts of it. There was the 'chilling' dumpster, adorned with rust spots and the occasional roach that crept along the sides of the green bin that rested to her left, against the wall of a club. The steaming sewer drain that brought sewage and rotten scents to them every once in a while served as a divider between them and outside of the alley. The old fire escape that dangled from their 'hang out', an abandoned warehouse. There were busted windows, and old newspapers askew everywhere, and the metal trash cans in the far, dark corner of the alley. Everything was as it should be, all of its glory waited there. She traversed around the steaming public sewer plate and saw her friends waiting, each lying or sitting in their designated spot. Hal saw her trotting up, obviously late and shook his head, his cigarette dangling lazily from his lips. He sucked from it and tore it from his mouth.

"What the hell kid? We've all been waiting here, and here you come lolly-gagging like its aiight." He ran his hand through his shaggy brown hair in annoyance before leaping off the trash bin he was reigning on.

"Sorry guys. I was having a rough morning." Evie shrugged him off and walked towards the gang, each of them giving her a threatening glare. They were hard people to please, and she knew that from past experiences. Who would have guessed that hot wiring a cop vehicle with just half of a broken screw driver wouldn't impress Hal? Evie had to step it up, even after she completed her juvenile ritual tasks. That included things, like…stealing three purses from upper-class women. There Evie cheated, she took her father's aunt's purses one day and claimed them as all from different people. Also, she had to complete the duty of walking into a convenience store and jacking 150 bucks worth of meaningless merchandise. She couldn't cheat on that one, since Hal was her cover man. But it was easy, all of it, easy and _enthralling. _She actually enjoyed being in this posse of bad-asses. She was never able to be so free with herself before, until Hal inducted her into his group. Then she became a true force to be reckoned with. She was also very, very good at it and they all knew that, all five of them. They were in awe of her skills, but they treated her as the newbie she was, for she had only been in the gang for a month and a half.

"Damn girl, we all have rough mornings. What makes you special to be able to show up late?" Greta, a pearly looking blond girl stammered. Her grey eyes burned into Evie.

"Hey I was gunna say sorry. Get off my ass Greta."

"Screw you EJ."

"'Ey, 'Ey! Knock it off ladies! You're getting on my nerves," Dallas, a thick and strong country boy, grumbled from a corner next to the sitting trash bin. His red hair almost matched the color of his freckled cheeks.

Hal, finding a victim, bent over and smacked Dallas across his freckled face, causing an even redder right cheek on the boy's face. Dallas growled loudly and jumped up from his crouching position, ready to fight.

"Don't be a bitch Dallas," His action caused the whole group to burst into laughter. Hal puffed a grey could of smoke into his face. They all laughed harder, while Dallas grew redder.

"Hey now, we're all here. So, what's up for today Hal?" Eva asked, and smiled at him. She pleaded that he would smile back at her, the smile she absolutely loved.

"Well, I was thinking…" The group immediately gave him all of their attention, except for one.

"Every time you get to thinking Hal, we always end up stealing petty shit. I say we go for a bigger prize," Gage spoke up, a strong and tattooed seventeen year old with a bad temper. His black eyes gleamed with excitement when they met Hal's.

"Yeah, we should be able to steal more than three sector passes and a few hundred bucks worth of old women jewelry. 'Sides we have freak show EJ to do the elbow work-." Greta said, leaning against her boyfriend Gage, she always agreed with him. Every time.

Eva frowned at her while interrupting, "-So you can call the cops on me yourself, huh?" This caused a black, deathly stare from Greta, her beautiful face contorting into a sort of inner evil.

"Hey who leads this crew? Me, so shut up." Hal's green eyes sent waves across the kids. Only his frightening superiority at 18 could make them listen to him whole heartedly and Evie was absolutely drawn to him. She had been ever since she caught him jacking some shit from a store one day and she happened to be in it. And to think Evie was going to kick his ass for it too…

"I think we should take it chill today. I'm tired as shit and I want to think about what you said Gage. That's probably why I keep your punk ass around; I don't think it's a bad idea at all, I think we can move up the ladder." He smiled a cunning smile at the group. He turned towards Evie and flipped open his pack of smokes, he offered one to her, "Wanna smoke?" He flashed his smile again and Evie gave in instantly, she couldn't help it.

"Yeah sure," She pulled out a slender white nail and put it to her lips all the while looking into Hal's green eyes. He didn't object, and it flattered them both as he put the lighter up to her cigarette, slowly. The orange flicker buzzed at the end of it until it caught and began to exert fumes.

"Would y'all get moving!? You can screw each other later!" Dallas yelled, walking towards the abandoned warehouse were they hung out in, his body limping away down the alley.

Evie pulled the alien chemicals into her lungs, coughed short and responded, "Shut up Hill-Jack we're coming," she puffed the smoke from her mouth in a curling grin, just for Hal.

****

Logan typed feverishly on his PC, going through some of his Eyes Only files. His hair the usual spiky mess, made worse by his anxious hands. He sighed and pulled open a folder marked, '_Cale, Bennet: Business etc.'_ Ever since he discovered that good 'ol Uncle Jonas's family business had been taken over by good 'ol cousin Bennet a year before, he'd been searching and picking into anything he could find out about it. Logan mostly wanted to make sure that Bennet was being wise, for he was an easy man to be tricked, and Logan wasn't going to tolerate him being abused by the government oversight committee that had ruled Cale Industries since Jonas's death. After a long, hard legal battle the controlling stock was returned to the original holders in the family, himself included. He wanted to know what investments his family's company was making, since it was now in Bennet's ultimate control as CEO. He mostly wanted to know if C.I. still held the patents and rights for the chips that were used in hover-drones, and what if any new developments were made that could cause problems for Seattle and him.

Truth be told, his anxiety stemmed mostly from the fact that he hadn't shared this news with Max. The whole sordid hover-drone affair still galled him, and even the prospect of regaining his former wealth did little to ease his mind.

He was fairly certain that Max knew about the court ruling, since it had made both State and National news. But Max never mentioned, and Logan was more than happy to let things as they were for the time being. He _was_ happy that his family's name was vindicated, and the money couldn't hurt either. On the other hand, after the previous year's brush with the newly reformed Manticore he didn't relish the thought of making it back to the Society columns. He was living with a younger woman of no social standing, unmarried and with a kid, no less. He was a prime target for the usual gossip-mongers of high society Seattle.

And while he would never admit it out loud, he missed Bennet. They had been very close as children, and his cousin was the only Cale that actually had tried to keep in touch with him. After Evie had been born Max and Logan had decided to disappear from their usual hangouts, had rented out the Penthouse and moved to the suburbs under assumed names, in an attempt to throw off any prying eyes and live a quiet life...well as quiet as one could have while waging war on corruption and taking care of a genetically enhanced girl.

'_Two of them, actually.._' he mused with a smile as he remembered some of the temper tantrums the older of the women in his life had thrown. Add the fact that Evie had perfected that damned quivering, pouty-lipped expression that Max used to get away with, well, practically everything...'_Hey, at least my life isn't boring..._'

Focusing again in his work, he finally pulled a bulging manila folder from the bottom left drawer on his desk. After a few moments of doubt he opened it and retrieved a sealed envelope. He had received the letter by courier almost two years ago. As soon as he had seen the return address as belonging to his family's attorney he had archived it. He'd received several of those over the years, informing him of the status of the legal battle to regain the company's control from the corrupt government, and he had lost what little interest it held from him very quickly. But this one...this one had come about a week before the formal announcement of the verdict that returned C.I. to his family. To Bennet. Taking a deep breath. Logan opened the letter.

****

**Three days later...**

It felt strange. Logan hadn't actually worn a suit since Bennet's marriage, and he discovered that he didn't really miss it. He was far too comfortable in cargo pants and a sweater. And Max didn't seem to mind, either...

As he suspected, the letter informed him that control of the company would be returned to the family, and named Bennet as the new CEO and majority shareholder. It also contained a handwritten letter from his cousin, that asked to meet with him at his earliest convenience, so that was what he was doing today. Logan had actually planned to meet with him as soon as they left the media spotlight. And then Manticore came back. In all fairness, he had been just too happy (ecstatic, in fact) with Max's return and the latest victory over their nemesis to be overly concerned with something as trivial as someone else's money: he'd been pretty sure that it would be years before he saw any dividends, if ever. The State government had been forced to return control of all shares and assets, but had neglected to mention that they had been somewhat...remiss on their taxes. As a result, most of the already meager earnings were garnished as back taxes and fines. The company was theirs, but it amounted to little more than a pile of paper.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Logan crossed the threshold, into the belly of the beast. As he approached the desk he noticed the receptionist eyeing him intently, sizing him up..._checking him out_.

Logan blinked, surprised. While he knew he wasn't exactly hard on the eyes he had grown unaccustomed to women seeing him as a man, as desirable, since the shooting. Except for Max, of course. He had come to accept in the first two years in the chair that it was mostly in his head. But after finally getting over his self-esteem issues and settling down with her he had just ignored any other women. Living in near seclusion with his girls he had forgotten what it was like to be stared at as a piece of meat. While he wasn't at all interested, a small part of him couldn't help but preen a little at the attention he was getting. Arriving at the desk, he gave her one of his famous heart-melting smiles.

"Hello, I'd like to see Bennet Cale, please."

"Do you have an appointment? Mr. Cale's calendar is quite full." The girl smiled again at him, the invitation in her eyes was impossible to miss.

"No, I don't, but I'm certain he'll see me. Tell him Logan would like to see him."

"Logan...?"

"Cale. Logan Cale."

_That _wiped the smile from her face. Logan had been fairly sure that Bennet would have left instructions to let him pass when he finally chose to appear, but he'd been a little nervous as well; he _had_ left him hanging for over a year.

"Mr. Cale! Yes, of course! If you'll take the last elevator I'll take you to his offices. It's in the top floor." The receptionist handed Logan a pass key. Not an average visitor pass, either. This one had his picture and name on it. It seemed that Bennet had been expecting him, after all. Logan looked at her name tag as he took the pass key.

"Thank you, Lucy."

He walked straight to the elevator, leaving a flustered, sputtering Lucy watching him leave. The ride up was quick and uninterrupted, he suspected that his ID overrode the usual commands. As the elevator doors opened he saw a large desk with yet another young, beautiful woman sitting behind. This one, however, had all the markings of an executive secretary or personal assistant. There were two identical sets of double doors on either side of her. As he stepped out the woman stood and walked towards him in a brisk, no-nonsense manner. She offered her hand as she reached him.

"Mr. Cale, it's good to finally meet you. Your cousin speaks very highly of you. I'm his personal assistant, Elizabeth Parks. But please, call me Beth. He does." Beth said this last part with a slight, warm smile. "Please, step right through, he's expecting you."

Logan thanked her and opened the right-side door, as Beth had indicated. The office was large, flooded by sunlight from the large, wall-to-wall windows that took most of the far side. The decor was minimal but tasteful, and _screamed_ money. As Bennet stood from his chair Logan focused on his cousin. It had been almost sixteen years since they last saw each other; since the birth of his niece, Elaine Marie Cale. He realized that Ellie's seventeenth birthday was less than two months away. '_Damn, time does fly..._' He was stunned again by the fact that he was almost 52 years old. Since he'd been with Max he just didn't pay attention to that. It didn't help that Max did _not_ look to be almost 39. '_She is genetically engineered perfection, all right..._'

He was abruptly shaken from his thoughts by his cousin's tight hug.

"Logan! You finally decided to crawl out from under your rock! You made me sweat for sixteen months, you prick!"

Logan couldn't help but laugh. He _had_ missed his younger cousin.

"Yeah, well, I didn't want to come too soon, in case you wanted me to help you clean up the mess. I'm way too old for that crap."

Bennet snorted, amused. Logan thought he saw a mischievous glimmer in his eyes for a moment, but it was gone in an instant. "Yeah, right. Seat, man! I can't believe you haven't visited since Ellie's birth. She doesn't believe me when I tell her about my cousin, Playboy Logan Cale."

"Well, it's been a long while since that, Bennet. I'm an old man, now." Logan ignored the disbelieving expression on the younger man's face. "In any case, I received your letter, a little late I know. But here I am. What can I do for you?"

"It's really what I can do for _you_. You know that our stock is rising, right? And as owner of 20 percent of the controlling stock you have your share of that."

Now it was Logan's turn to snort in amusement. "Ah, of course. Twenty percent of eighteen years of back taxes, legal fees and fines. A real king's ransom."

Bennet took a bank draft from his otherwise pristine desk and handed it to him. "I agree it's not much, but it's yours nonetheless."

It took every ounce of self control Logan had to remain calm as he saw the amount on the check.

"...Bennet?"

"Yes, Logan?"

"There's a shitload of zeros on this thing..." '_OK, maybe I'm not that calm..._'

Bennet chuckled, clearly enjoying having surprised him.

"So, I take it it's not at bad as you thought it might be..."

"You could say that..." '_Damn there's a LOT of zeros here!_'

"Well, since you're happy there's a couple of things I'd like to ask of you."

"Oh, yeah, sure..."

"Ellie's birthday is coming up in six weeks, and we would love if you could come. You could bring a..._friend_ of course."

Logan remembered when Max had first met his family, at Bennet's wedding. He had introduced her as a friend. And when Ellie was born, Max had been there as well. They had just gotten rid of the virus, and things were still a little weird between them. She'd been introduced again as a 'friend'. Bennet had probably been waiting all this time to rib him about it...

"Of course, _we_ would love to go."

"Excellent! As for the other thing..."

"Yes?" Logan was still staring at the check, a little bewildered. '_So many zeros..._' So at first he didn't really register what Bennet was saying. "I'm sorry, what?".

"I said, did you noticed the door on the other side of Beth's desk?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"Well, that's your office. I want you to come to work with me. Help me run the company. Together."

Logan could only stare at his cousin as the check fell unnoticed from his fingers.

_ End Chapter Two._


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: We want to thank all who read and reviewed, especially Dutch, Mari83, charmichael5, brina2468, nattylovesu, and Alan Grey for their insightful comments and support.**

**Also, one reader brought up the issue of the use of profanity on this story: while it won't reach the level that's usually found on my stories, we do have a teenager testing her boundaries, so it's apt to get a little messy. Rest assured, it wont get too far, though. :)**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still not ours. **

Chapter Three

Logan was still a little dazed by the time he arrived back at the penthouse. The check was burning a hole in his pocket. It was a _lot_ of money...

The ride up seemed longer than usual. Or perhaps it was that he had so many things going around in his head that it seemed that way...regardless, the stress and excitement of the day hit him as soon as he stood in front of his door, keys poised. He let out a long tired sigh, and leaned against the door. He was so _tired_.

After last year's run in with Manticore they had gathered a ton of information and research from the facility's mainframe, and one of the things they had discovered was how this new iteration of their old nemesis had funded itself. They had used the last of the X-3 and -4's and some X-7's as guinea pigs, with two main goals in mind: radical gene therapy and the development of a 'super soldier' serum, a targeted retrovirus designed to alter and enhance a regular human after birth, as opposed to genetic manipulation of fertilized eggs. This had made him laugh, but sadly, his Captain America jokes had been completely wasted on his girls..

.On the plus side, the experiments in gene therapy were aimed at the rich and powerful, who as usual, wanted to keep living as long as possible, sparing no cost on their quest for longevity. Max had laughed at that, until she noticed that some of the work was based on Dr. Adriana Vertes; the one that had offered Logan a chance to walk again, almost twenty years before. They read the research carefully, and finally found what they were looking for to get Logan on his feet again. It had taken Logan almost a year to get together the necessary equipment and money, but with Sebastian's help he managed, and three months later he had received the first treatment in order to walk again.

It had been hard. Hard, long and painful.

A few times he had almost given up, but Max and Evie kept him going, kept him strong. They didn't need him to walk, _he_ didn't need to walk. It had been years since he had thought about it. Logan didn't need his legs to be a man, to be a father, to make love to Max. If he had to, he could use the exo. But it would be a lie to say that he didn't want to try it. He didn't _need_ to walk. But he sure as hell wouldn't _mind_ being able to do so.

These days he could move around on his own for a while, and using the Exo actually helped him develop his legs and lower back muscles again. He had not worn the exo to his reunion with Bennet, however. He really didn't want to let it be known that he had it, and he would be on his own two feet in a couple more months, anyway...

Now all he had to do was to break the news to Max. To tell her about this fat check that was tugging on his pants, about his absurd, yet flattering offer from Bennet, everything. That was _not_ going to be fun...

Logan opened the door carefully, as if Max wouldn't hear it, and entered the apartment, walking distractedly towards his thinking spot by the window.

And then he came face to face with Max, standing in his way. She had her arms crossed, deep brown eyes narrowed in a mixed expression of fiery annoyance and suspicion that he had come to dread. Logan saw that she held Bennet's letter crumpled inside one strong fist. Even in her fieriness, Logan still couldn't stop thinking about how amazing she looked. How _hot_ she was when she got angry. Then, Logan remembered again, how pissed she was…

"Logan. Tell me, oh _love_ of my life, _father_ of my child, when were you planning on letting me in on the news?"

'_Oh, crap..._'

***

Max had been restless since Ben's birthday.

The days that followed were hard on her. On Logan too, of course, but he had other things to occupy his mind. She on the other hand...Since Evie was born she had devoted most of her time to her and Logan. She'd done the occasional Eyes Only job, of course, but Logan had cut back a lot since then, and most of his work was related to Manticore. On staying one step ahead of them, to be precise. But after taking down the facility last year, and with Evie going all teenager on her she'd had _way_ too much time on her hands. It wasn't boredom, not exactly. And she didn't love her family any less, but they just didn't need her as much. She was just _restless_.

So when she started thinking about Jam Pony and maybe paying them a visit, she decided enough was enough. She would get a job.

'_As if it would be that easy..._'

Max soon found out that she was either overqualified or didn't have the necessary skills; at least, she couldn't prove she had them. It would've been all too easy to just have Logan make her a new identity, but she wanted to do this on her own, and more importantly, in her own terms. She wanted to get a job by herself, on her own merits. So she spent many hours searching online for the perfect job.

It was during one of her long, sleepless nights in Logan's office that she came by a report on Cale Industries first year's earnings after the government gave control back to the family. She had known about the trial and it's importance, of course, but since Logan didn't mention it she decided to let him be. It's not like they were strapped for cash or anything. But according to the report the company had made an obscene amount of money, citing 'Foreign Investments' as their main revenue source. That didn't sound too good. Max kept quiet, and tried to let it go, but the cat in her just couldn't help herself for long. She eventually decided to snoop around Logan's files a bit, see if he was onto something. She didn't think it could do anyone harm…

That's when she found the letters.

_Letters!? _

There where about a dozen of them, evenly spaced over the last two years. The first ones were just reports on the status of the lawsuit, but then she found the one that informed Logan of the verdict on their favor, and another confirming that he was again in control of a substantial amount of C.I. stock. Apparently Logan not only had recovered his original portfolio, but it seemed that Jonas had been screwing him up: he had paid Logan less money than he should've, and had abused his nephew's trust by using Logan's shares to consolidate his position as CEO. It turned out that Logan had the same amount of controlling stock that Jonas did. Max felt a wave of anger at the man. She wished the prick hadn't been dead for twenty years so she could hunt him down and kick his ass.

Then she got to Bennet's letter, and she knew why Logan had been so distant the last couple of days. On a hunch, she went to the bedroom and checked the closet. First she noticed the suit that Logan wasn't fond of was gone, and the exo sat on its stand, clearly unused.

So he had gone to see his little cousin, to get back his money. And he had not seen fit to mention any of that to her. It brought her anger and betrayal; she was _so_ going to kick his ass!!!

'_Well...it's a nice ass, maybe I'll just make him squirm. But he's not getting any for at least a month!_'

As she was contemplating fiendish ways to make him pay, she heard the elevator open up on their floor. She was waiting for him…

***

Logan stared back at her, caught completely off guard by her intimidating presence. Max was not one to waste any tactical advantage.

"Logan? I asked you a question, dear. Care to tell me why I didn't hear anything about this?" She shook the crumpled piece of paper in her hand, "Or why you're running around the city alone, without the exo? WELL?"

Logan flinched at her tone. While he knew she loved him, and would never physically hurt him, he had developed a healthy respect for her temper. He'd seen her moody, pissed and flat-out angry, but the look she was giving him was usually reserved for Sector Cops eyeing her baby... and Alec. Knowing he was one wrong word away from sleeping on the couch for the next month, he did the only thing that came to mind…

He gave her the check.

Max's expression turned instantly to one of surprise, then amazement. Her posture relaxed a bit, and Logan finally breathed in relief. Maybe he would be able to talk his way out of this one.

"Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to explain to me why you have a check for fifteen _million _dollars?"

Logan's shoulders slumped in defeat. He should've known better...

***

"Oh Fuck!" Gage yelled above the oncoming sirens. His black eyes frantically searched for an escape, but to him it looked as if there were none. He crouched quickly, ducking away from the windows; it made them all more vulnerable if they were visible. He motioned to Greta and Dallas to follow his lead. The only ones still standing were EJ and Hal. They were frozen shitless.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Hal roared as he grabbed at his hair, tugging on it, attempting to release his fury. He was scared and Evie could tell that, because she was scared too. She knew they shouldn't have gone and tried to rob from this shop. But they all insisted that they'd slip in and out without a worry…

"What do we do!?" Greta wheezed, from the corner. She gripped onto Gage with a deathly clutch. She obviously hadn't been caught like this before. Her face was pale and sickly.

"I don't know! We just have to get out! I can't get caught! I just can't!" Hal punched his fists together, a common thing he did to get his mind working. His green eyes turned to Evie; his plead for help in his eyes caused Evie's blood to run pure ice. She was on the spot instantly.

"Uh…" She began, her voice barley audible above the oncoming sirens and the shop alarm. Every second the cops grew closer. She breathed in quickly and snapped out of her frozen fear. She tapped into her transgenic abilities, eyeing the room in the dark for anything useful or easy to escape out of. She followed the perimeter of the walls, tracing over the cases filled with expensive high-end jewelry, looking for a door or anything that could help them escape. Nobody else in that room with her could do such things.

"Dammit! Hurry, do something!" Dallas shrieked as the flashing lights of cop cars became visible around the corner of the street.

Hal forcefully pushed him against the wall, his strong arm pinned under the kid's neck. "Shut up! Shut up! What do you think we're doing, fuck head!? 'Sides this is your fault!" Gage pulled them apart quickly before matters got worse.

That's when Evie saw it. "Hey! Yo!" They all clambered and yelled at one another over her. She tried louder, "Hey! SHUT UP!"

They silenced instantly. All eyes were on her. Each petrified and begging pair of eyes stared her down, waiting.

"What EJ!?" Gage begged.

"Look! I know a way for us to get out, but we all need to help one another in order to escape unscathed." The lights of their enemies flickered against the shop's windows. They all tensed and nodded. Evie took off towards the back of the room, pushing all chairs and displays out of her way. That's when her conscience kicked in. "Wait!" She twisted her direction quickly, facing all of her frantic crew.

"Put everything we stole back right now. We're already in it deep!" She began to pull out lengths and lengths of necklaces out of her pockets.

They began to follow her lead, all except for Hal. She noticed that he pretended to pull out his stolen goods in the dark. She knew that nobody could see that except for her in this pitch, black room. She didn't bother wasting precious minutes to argue with him, for the cops were coming too damn fast. Her hyper sensitive ears heard them slamming their doors 258 yards away, she estimated.

'_Oh shit…'_

"Alright!" She started forward again, expertly dodging all obstacles in her path, while the five others behind her, blindly bashed into anything in front of them. They couldn't see anything. Good thing Evie could.

She reached what she needed; a large, almost conveniently large air vent. It was perfect for escaping teenagers. Evie pulled a chair over to the vent and stood on it.

"What are you doing!? How is this going to work!? We're so dead!" Dallas whined from behind Evie. She felt his nerves, and she felt her own.

'_I'm so dead…so dead. If Mom and Dad find out about this…oh my good god, I'm so dead…' _

Her fingers traced over the vent, instantly memorizing it. She found three central weak spots in the metal of the caged vent.

"EJ, how are we gunna get this open? We have no metal cutter or even a screwdriver!? Nobody can get this op-,"

That's when the first violent pop of the metal was heard. Evie pulled harder, and another satisfactory rip was sudden.

"Holy… are you pulling off that fucking thing!?" Gage whispered, completely appalled.

Another grunt and another pop. The cage cover suddenly flopped over in her hands. Evie sighed, and let it dangle from the wall, now being held on by only one industrial strength nail.

"Hell no!" She shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear. Even though in truth, she had with her bare hands. Evie estimated the height of the vent, about eleven feet. "Hey Greta get your ass over here, we'll heave you up!"

Evie instantly felt Greta's elbow to the eye while she cascaded through everyone. The girl was so scared to save her own ass that she was throwing limbs every which way. Evie and Hal lifted her up easily. Then came frantic Dallas, he was more of a piece of weight. They lifted him to safety.

Evie's ears cocked towards the danger outside. They were on the sidewalk now, their heavy boots stomping the pavement. She heard a police communication radio go off 50 yards away, its buzzing turning into a voice,

"_Estimated five to six, possibly armed robbers. Hesitation to fire is not an option." _

She felt her precious breath jam inside of her throat. They were so much closer now; she dreaded that there wouldn't be enough time. If all of them were able to travel to the outside air source, which would only be about ten feet, then they could easily escape into the alleys they knew so well. They'd get away with it…But somewhere, something told her that wasn't gunna happen…

Gage heaved himself into the vent, looking back at Evie for a stalled second. The glance was of pure gratitude and fear, his eyes full of apprehension. He knew she pulled that vent off with her bare hands…

Evie heard the police footsteps stop in front of the shop, the alternating red and blue lights lighting up the black room every five seconds. The light hadn't reached the farthest back corner yet. That's when she heard the horrible sound of guns cocking, approximately five of them. She hadn't a clue to the type, she was good but she wasn't her Mother. She knew that her Mom would know what type, the brand of the weapon, the bullets that packed it, everything; just by hearing one simple gun cock. And at this exact moment there was nothing she had wanted more than to be rescued by her, to be held by her. She wanted her Mommy more than she's ever had in the past year…and it scared the hell out of her.

She felt Hal's desperately clamber up into the vent. He pushed her aside as he blundered by, causing her perfect balance to go strangely awry. Evie tumbled back into the glass shards left from the display cases, each sharp flute creating its own painful incision on her hands and arms. But still, Evie was too frightened to really object and scramble to safety like the others. She also waited behind; making sure the crew had climbed into safety. But that's when the doors were shot down by the cops.

The bullets blasted into the glass windowed walls, shattering millions of shard in all directions. She could hear each sparkle and chunk that tinkled onto the cemented floor. It was a symphony all at once, it mesmerized her, and it scared her. She hadn't moved from her guard. The symphony ended its display, and Evie ended her cowardice.

She could see five guns all pointed into the store. Five officers, obviously tangled with a type of sector police, were decked out in the common militia gear. The slender black guns had a blinding flashlight atop each barrel, all sweeping the store for a culprit. They swooped their lights over the shards of glass, the broken jewelry cases, and the medium sized displays. Evie crouched in the corner cradling her right arm. The hot blood dripped along her fingers, she pinched her eyes shut in ultimate dismay and regret, not so much pain.

'_This is the end…I love you Mommy and Daddy. I'm so sorry for acting this way…If I could only get out of this…' _

She felt thick, hot tears dribble down both of her dirty cheeks. She couldn't get out of this… and she knew it. She wished that she could be five again and in the arms of both of her loving parents.

'_If it was only that easy…'_

More tears raced along the pained planes of her face. A flashlight raced over her quickly, and then dispersed away. Out of natural instinct, she twisted her body up, still clenching her bloodied arm to the right side of her body. Just as she fully turned to face the frightening militia armed men at the front of the store, she felt it; right in the middle of her vulnerable chest.

She collapsed to the floor gasping for air, and colors swirled in front of her discombobulated eyes. Her body was impossibly heavy, the pain radiated everywhere.

"_Sorry…" _That's when her esophagus suized up and her eyes closed shut.

'_I hope they got out ok…'_

And that was Eva Jace Guevara's last thought before the blackness engulfed her into oblivion.

TBC

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	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Clearly this has taken a while for us to post up, but here goes. Thanks to the two who had reviewed. We need more reviews or else this project may go sinking like some of the others on this site. :( We need to know that you are reading. So how about this… please review? :D**

**Disclaimer: Check back there. Thing is, we don't own DA at all.**

_*Here goes chapter four, if you all review for us we will post up chapter five much, much quicker! :) Most importantly, enjoy._

_C/M._

Chapter Four

Max was still pissed.

She hated to be left out of things, especially by Logan. She hated when he had his Eyes Only face on; like what he was doing now. Oh, he might act contrite, give her his poor-little-me puppy stare, but underneath he was wearing his game face. It used to scare her, how much he could read her, how easy it was for him to manipulate her. And then she started doing the same. After almost twenty years together they had learned to read each other as a reflex. What angered her now wasn't that he was trying to keep things from her; it was that he thought that he actually could.

Seemed that Mr. Eyes Only needed a little reminder of whom he was dealing with...

"OK, _dear_. Talk to me. What's this about?"

"What do you mean? It's very simple. We just got fifteen million from C.I., as my – make it our – share of the business for the last eighteen months." Logan shifted on the couch; he was forced to remain there, as his trip to see Bennett had left him exhausted. Max was standing, and walking slowly around him.

'_Seems I'm not fooling her..._'

Max snorted, walked in front of him and stopped. She leaned over him, forcing Logan to lean back; she then placed both hands on either side of his shoulders. She looked at his face intently for a few moments, before barking a short laugh.

"Who d'you think you're fooling, Logan? I know you. I know how you think, and I know you're keeping something from me. Now, I usually would let you play your little games, after all it's always fun to figure out what's on your mind. But this feels different. You're onto something that includes CI and it's making you jumpy. You kept this thing from me, and I thought you just didn't want to deal with it. But then you go see your cousin and come back bearing a check. And you're acting evasive. You're hiding something from me. Now, I know you're a secretive man, and I've always admired your dedication and understand your discreet nature. But if you're trying to keep something like this from me it means one of two things: It's something that you think might hurt me or is something you know won't make me happy. So which one is it, Logan?"

Logan just stared into her eyes, barely registering her words. He was assaulted by her perfume, by the scent of cherries from her lip balm, by the slightly fruity smell from her hair. His eyes kept going from her eyes to her pouty lips. It wasn't until Max repeated her question and punctuated it by bringing her face closer to him, that he reacted. He reached up and cupped her face with his hand, tracing her jaw line with one finger.

Max was startled. She straightened away from him, pinning him with an angry and disbelieving stare.

"If you think you're getting out of this by seducing me, you're even more desperate that I thought," She breathed out heavily, really worried now. "Talk to me Logan! We're a team, remember? Don't cut me out." She was actually hurt that Logan tried to manipulate her like this.

"Max, no! I wasn't...I just...You're right; I'm keeping things from you. And you're right about the motive. I was trying to protect you, _you and Evie_." Logan stood slowly, reaching for her face again. "And for the record, we're not a team. We're family. And a moment ago...well, it still hits me, you know?"

"What?" Whispered Max. Damn the man, he was too distracting!

"How incredibly beautiful you are. That you've chosen to spend your life with me. That someone as perfect as you could want an obsessive, neurotic old man like me. Anything that could jeopardize that scares me. That's why I kept you in the dark. I needed to keep you an Evie away from this, at least until I was sure it was nothing."

"From _what_, Logan? I can't _help_ you, can't _protect_ you unless you let me in."

"I know, but I needed to be sure. And now I'm ready to tell you."

"OK, then. Spill."

"OK. I'm assuming you've already read all the letters? Well, I've kept an eye on C.I. since the trial ended, and was concerned about things, where they were going. Like, how far the 'foreign investments' run and how it might affect us."

"You mean, with you owning so much stock?"

Logan smiled at that, "Yeah, that, amongst other things. Basically, it means that my -our- private lives will end. I'm a majority shareholder, and with Bennett and a couple of cousins we hold 56% of the company. That means that we control the board and the fate of the company. And that also means a seat in CI board of directors: maybe even the CEO chair if I wanted. That would mean the end of our private life. _Your_ private life and Evie's as well.

Now, I know that we destroyed the new Manticore and let everyone loose, again. But the backers are still out there, and might try again. This kind of money brings us a lot of possibilities, and gives us access to many resources, but it also means making public appearances and being public figures. And it only takes an old Manticore tech or guard to recognize you, and we're back in the same game. I couldn't risk it. So I needed to know where we stood before telling you this. I'm sorry I kept things from you. But I don't regret being careful, not for a single moment. And the best way to keep you and Evie safe is to sell Bennett my stock and disappear again."

Max was stunned by this. She knew how much Logan cared about his cousin and the company. Not the rest of his family, but the company was his last link to his father, to a line that stretched back over a century. And he was planning on severing it completely for her sake. God, she loved this man!

"Don't"

"What?"

"Don't do it. We don't need to disappear again; we can be safe without you cutting off your family."

"Weren't you listening? You are my family."

"I mean it Logan. Jonas is dead, and your aunt Margo is somewhere in South America with boy toy number eight, by my count. You don't have to cut yourself from the rest of your family for us. We can make it work."

"Max, I don't think you understand the level of public exposure this means! And considering you..."

"What the hell does that mean?" Max stepped away from Logan, an angry scowl marring her face.

"It means that you're twelve years younger than me, and we have a fifteen-year old daughter, that has your name, not mine. It's a scandal waiting to happen. You and Evie will have paparazzi following you around all the time!"

Max looked away, nibbling her lower lip. He had a point, a _good_ one. Still, she wasn't ready to drop it. Then an idea came to her...She smiled evilly.

"Oh, no. I know that smile. What are you planning now?"

"Why, mister Cale! I'm not planning anything. It's just...well; I've realized that you've been remiss on your duties. And I think it's time you made it right."

"Remiss? What are you talking about? What did I do wrong?"

"It's more a matter of what you didn't do, Logan. I think it's time you took responsibility for your actions."

"And what does that mean, exactly?"

"Well, I think it's time you made an honest woman out of me."

Max stared at him with an innocent look. _'Anytime now..._'

"WHAT??!!"

Max laughed at his face. He looked so..._cute_.

"You want to get married? Now? After sixteen years?"

"Think about it, Logan. You just need to alter a few records and we've been married since Evie's birth. Or earlier, perhaps. After all, Evie was entered as Cale in that snotty school you took her when she was six, remember? We just say that we wanted to maintain our privacy. That's all."

"Oh, just like that? I wanted to marry you, remember? You didn't want to leave that kind of trail, and I agreed."

"Yeah, but the situation has changed. Besides, it will make things easier for you, to explain us to your family. In case anyone remembers me from Bennett's wedding."

"Oh, they remember and Bennett's still giving me grief over that, from you being my 'friend' at Ellie's birthday party. This reminds me, he's asked me, well us, actually, to be at Ellie's sixteenth birthday party. Its six weeks from now. And I kind of agreed."

"Well, even better! It can be our first public appearance as the Cales. We should take Evie as well, get the family to meet her."

"So I guess I really don't have a say in this, then?"

"Don't be silly, Logan! You can say 'yes dear'. Start practicing."

Logan laughed and hugged her tightly. God, he loved this woman! Then he remembered something. Something he had been keeping, just in case...

"Wait here."

Logan walked to his bedroom and opened the safe hidden in the back of the closet. He retrieved a small box and took it to the living room. He stepped besides max and took her hand.

"I've been saving these for one such occasion. They were my mother's and my grandmother's before. I had given up hope that you would wear them, so I was keeping them for Evie. But she can have them afterwards. So, Max Guevara, will you marry me?"

Max looked at the ring in his hand, and then at his face. He meant it, everything he had said. She was taken once again by the love she saw in his eyes. It consumed her, and she fell into this sensational love trap.

"Yes, of co..." She was interrupted by the buzzer; several times, in fact. Someone was in a hurry to get their attention. They looked at each other and started laughing. They'd been so consumed with one another…

"Hold that thought, Max. I'll see who it is."

Max just nodded and waited for him to return, admiring the ring Logan had just slipped on her finger. Maybe this marriage thing wouldn't be so bad, after all. Max was still smiling as she heard Logan return. One look at his face, however, wiped the joy from hers.

"Max, it's the police. Evie's been arrested."

**************

Eyes groggy, head heavy, Evie attempted to arouse herself from her thick subdued state. She twisted her wrists slowly, checking them.

'_Oh my God, I got hit by a freight train.' _

She tried to flip her eyelids open, to no avail. It was like anchors were attached to her lids, preventing her from discovering where she resided. Her mouth was bone dry; she swore if she coughed, dust could protrude from her cheeks. She was cold, extremely so.

_'So this is what death is like, I'm surprised it's so… uncomfortable.' _

It hit her hard and fast then.

_'I'm alive? Rats…' _

A voice, so very distant came to her, "Hey the kid's waking up. What do we do? Give her more sedatives?"

A loud bang was heard then came another voice, broad and dangerous.

"No you idiot. We need to ask this freak some questions. If we give her more sedatives how we gonna explain her damn punishment!?" Quiet filled her eardrums. Then he spoke again, "'Sides the parents are coming down here, Tiya's bringing 'um down."

Evie's ears perked.

_'Parents? Oh damn, if I'm alive now, I won't be in a few…'_

She clenched her tingly appendages, pulsing precious blood to them. Her eyes ripped open, anxiously trying to capture the scene in front of her.

Three men, all dressed as she'd expect, green militia uniforms, shiny thug boots, fat heads that dawned razor army haircuts stood around a stone walled room. One wall supported a two-way glass mirror, which reproduced her horrid appearance back to her and it wasn't a lovely sight. Her lip was busted again for the second time. Her eyebrow, split with dried blood gathering around her left eyelid. Miniscule slits of shard slices dabbled her face in an almost child like diseased appearance. She looked like she had participated in a bar fight, with lots of blunt glass objects. Her arms and neck hadn't looked any better either.

A smooth voice spoke, "It's awake fellas."

Rough chuckles mirrored this man's comment.

Evie looked at both of her arms, one sliced and red, but both strapped helplessly down to a metal table. Just like in frigging Manticore.

_'Can't they just LOCK me in a cell?'_

"Hey boys. Could you loosen these suckers up? It's kind of dampening my parade. You know, I'd really love to stay here and reminisce about the good days of killing political people and stuff but I got places to be and people to see." She jerked the cuffs around her wrists and winced. "Damn! You're giving me a bigger cut." She flipped her head to the right towards the mirror and nodded towards it. "Who is back there? You know I wouldn't be surprised to know if some kind of-,"

A clamber of struggles became evident in the long hallway leading out of the room. A loud bang and warning shouts caused the three hotshots to stand all official and whip out their handguns. Evie rolled her eyes, this was so monotonous.

"'Ey! Marty? Tiya?" One of the thick boys called into his radio.

A strained voice buzzed through, "_It's ok Rex, just the Mother throwin' a bitch fit. She says that we had no right to shoot and all of this other BS. Anyway, the husband or whatever calmed her fit." _

All of Evie's breath sucked into her diaphragm, she was sure it wouldn't come out. She was too afraid to let it disturb anything, even her own Mother. Like Max could even feel her breathing…

"Oh crap!" Evie wriggled in her personal trap, unable to budge. Colors swirled in her sight, and she collapsed back down, her head banging against the metal slab. Air gushed from her torso, gasping sounds in accompaniment.

A raspy punk laughed in the corner of the room, his male eyes gleaming in a personal glee. His head bowed in an awkward glance, he smiled at her as if he knew her secret.

"Whatcha looking at hot stuff? Why don't you untie me and I'll show you how entertaining I can get-,"

He broke her mid-threat, "-you can't. I gave you a nice cocktail of meds to keep you under wraps. Feel a little drugged?" He chuckled like an evil child. It just plain grossed Evie out.

That's when she heard her dad's voice towards the door at the front of the room. He sounded anxious, angry and dead worried.

"-can't just have a minor drugged! Do you even know how un-,"

That's when he saw her. His eyes bared a disappointed, worried stare. He stopped at his quest into the room. Max swayed angrily beside him in the doorway. Her normally kept thick hair was frazzled and pin straight, so very uncommon for her beautiful face. Evie gulped pitifully. She would have to explain everything, she was being damned stupid, how she had freed her crew, how she smoked on occasion, dabbled in alcohol. She flunked her head away from their painful eyes and felt tears gather. She wanted to punch herself; she wasn't going to cry now. So she didn't.

Logan and Max were pushed into the room by another badass clone. Max sharply turned and stared the man down. She watched him slowly slink away from her. Evie refrained from showing a pleased grin.

"Take a seat," the man Rex gestured to two seats around a sharp rectangular table. "Listen we aint the bad guys here. We want to get her to tell us where those other little punks are, give her time, then go home. Okay?" Rex doesn't wait for them both to answer. He continues, "Well we want this kid's story. Speak up kid."

Evie whipped her head up again, "You can't talk to me unless I agree. I refuse to answer anything when I'm strapped down like a damn animal!"

"Maybe that's 'cause you are," Tiya snarled into her face. Evie hadn't backed down an inch. She never let her gaze from his when he unlatched her from her trap. He backed away menacingly, as she rose up and rubbed her wrists luxuriously. She still skipped her gaze away from her parents' the best she could. She felt she couldn't endure what she'd see in them; her failure, their own failure. She jumped off the table, weary in her step, and grasped a chair for support. The man in the corner giggled again.

Logan's voice, quiet and icy glazed over everyone, "What the hell did you do to my daughter?" The room silenced and he spoke again, "What the hell have you done?" He lifted his head, staring straight at Evie. She felt his icy ocean eyes laser her.

"We'd gone and gave her _some stuff._"

"She'd of destroyed this room."

"She's some freak to keep down."

Max twitched in her chair.

Rex spoke aloud glaring at Logan, "The real question Mister Cale is…what has your _daughter_ done?"

-**Enjoyed or not? **_**Max and Logan finally getting married?**_** Evie doesn't even know that yet… hmm, this may make dinner time a little strange…**

**Review please; tell us how you feel about this whole climbing situation. Holy union for those two… (Laughs at the possibilities…) **

**Gotta blaze kids,**

**C/M**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Not ours. Really.

A/N: **Hi. Here's chapter 5, hopefully you enjoy it. Remember, reviews and comments/suggestions really help. Thank you. **

A/N2:Thanks to everyone that left a review!

**Alan Grey** & **nattylovesu** had some concerns about the Cale name not having as much influence anymore, based on the ending of last chapter: we tried to clarify that point on this one, tell us what you think.

**Lip **wanted more of Cale Industries; well, you're in luck, 'cos it's a big part of the overall plot. There's more in this chapter.

As always, r&r peeps.

Chapter Five

Logan listened halfheartedly to the guard while he rambled on. He was more worried about Max. He knew she was a hair away from snapping and, well, snapping the man. All of them. It didn't help any of their moods that Evie kept avoiding his and Max's gaze. While she loved Evie as much as he loved her mother, he wasn't going to let that distract him from the facts at hand; whatever else happened, if Evie was behaving guiltily, it was very likely that she was.

He sighed tiredly. It was one of his worst nightmares, losing either of his girls on a stupid, random thing like a common robbery or an accident. He took a deep breath, laid a calming yet restraining hand on Max's thigh and focused his attention back on the man and stared at him intently. The guard flinched slightly. He wasn't dealing with the father of a spoiled, rich girl anymore.

He was trying to stare down Eyes Only.

**************

Max was beyond angry: she was seething. She couldn't believe what this idiots were saying. Leaving aside the fact that Evie had been caught at the scene of a robbery, there was no excusing the guards for shooting at her, even with rubber bullets. Those rounds were as non-lethal as a butter knife; a hit to the head or throat would kill as easily as live ammunition. And then they had the gall to beat her up, shoot her full of drugs and tie her to a table!

A shiver run down her spine as she repressed another memory of a similar table, of similar restraints, thirty years ago...pushing thoughts of Manticore away from her mind, she scanned the room again, then nodded to herself knowing that she could take everyone there in 4.7 seconds, and take her baby girl and her man - husband, she reminded herself – out of the building in less than five minutes. She was shifting her body into a ready position, arms loosened, upper body leaning forward, weight shifted to the balls of her feet, when she felt Logan put a hand firmly on her leg. When she looked sideways at him he gave her a shadow of a smile and squeezed gently, before directing his attention back at the bozo in front of him.

'_He wants to take point on this one, huh?_'

Trusting him to keep a level head on this, she relaxed and leaned back in her chair, ready to enjoy the show. Logan might not show it often, but there was steel beneath his soft, polite demeanor, tempered in over twenty five years of struggle. Max allowed herself a soft smirk. Yes, she was going to enjoy herself very much.

**************

As he felt Max relax, Logan let the man in front of him feel the full force of his stare. He also let his temper finally show. He was angry, as he had not been in years. This, this _thug_, had hurt his little girl. After staring down Bronk, Bruno, Lydecker, hell even Mole once, this prick wasn't even worth it. But he had had a lousy few weeks, and since the guard was nice enough to give him a target to vent, he was going to take the chance. And he was going to enjoy it.

"So, Fido, was it?"

"Rex." bit out the man, flushing with anger and embarrassment as Evie, Max and the other guards laughed at him. "Lieutenant Gareth Rex, Aegis Security!"

In the last years, as the economy started to get better, the rampant corruption in the Sector Police led many medium and large business and corporations to hire private security forces to protect their interests. This led to many incidents between these guards and the criminals of Seattle, until it reached a point were there was no accountability, many of these 'security consultants' being mercenary teams at best, little more than criminals themselves at worst.

After one very public incident left ten mercenaries and four National Guard soldiers - on leave at the time - dead in the streets, the Governor's office issued an order to curb and control these groups. This in turn led to a quiet but equally bloodthirsty Corporate bidding war, and in it's wake only four companies remained. Aegis Security was the smallest, and therefore cheapest of them.

It still angered Logan that the largest and most influential of those was Cale Security Consultants, created under the umbrella of C.I. by the board of trustees. Before the ruling that gave control back to his family, C.S.C. was the only division of the company still providing revenue. Another sore point for him was that he knew for a fact that five members of it's supposedly non-existing black ops division were transgenics...yet another fact he was keeping from Max since he had found out six months before. He needed to have a _long_ talk with Max, once they were home. By now Rex had averted his gaze, and Logan pounced.

"So, Lieutenant...care to explain to me why did you think it was a good idea to shoot, beat up, kidnap, and drug an innocent minor? Because I'm pretty certain that it exceeds the reach of your company's charter."

"Now listen, you-"

"No, _you_ listen. I'm going to step outside a moment to contact my attorneys, and when I return I expect a good, and I mean _really_ _good_ explanation for your actions." Logan stood up abruptly, startling the shorter man. Ignoring his indignant sputtering he turned and left the room, pulling out his cellphone.

"Hi, Sebastian? Yeah, I know it's been a while. Listen, I need a favor. I need you to do a little hacking, like we discussed? No, the other one. Yes, Evie _and_ Max. Keep the dates as we discussed, and leave a false trail to the Guevera name. OK, thanks."

Logan was feeling the buzz of adrenalin washing away the soreness from his legs. It felt good to be back at what he did best, hacking, digging up information and anticipating all of his opponent's moves. After he and Max had talked about the problems of getting married and adopting a public identity with his family name, it occurred to him that while dangerous it was also a good cover if Max and Evie Guevera ever needed to disappear.

So he had created a full set of duplicate identities for both of them as Maxine and Eva Cale, forging and setting up all the needed documentation both in paper and online, and set a series of triggers to make the switch on a moment's notice. This particular contingency was almost as old as Evie herself, and one of his most closely kept secrets. Only Bling, Matt Sung and Sebastian knew, and while he hated keeping things from Max, he was still proud of being able to keep this one little secret from her, knowing that the moment to use it would come sooner or later. With a smirk of triumph dancing on his lips he returned to the room.

**************** **

When Max heard Logan end his brief conversation with Sebastian she silently thanked Manticore for her abilities. She had honed them over the years, knowing that every small advantage could mean the difference between a cold cell and a warm spot on the bed next to him. She had had no trouble at all focusing her hearing on Logan and Sebastian's voices. While his ingenuity and thoroughness amazed her, she was a little pissed at him for keeping things from her...and also very, very proud.

He _would_ pay, of course. But she fully intended to show him how proud she was afterwards.

She turned to watch him enter, and shivered. Damn, the man was _hot_! Twenty years, and that little smirk still took her breath away...focusing again on the man fuming across the table, she smiled at him sweetly and prepared herself to enjoy the show. It had been a long while since Logan could let himself go like this. Her man was due a little fun of his own.

**************

Logan saw Max take in his expression and knew she had heard everything. He let himself enjoy the brief flash of pride and lust in her eyes before leveling his glare at Rex.

"Look dude, you called your lawyer, now you-"

"Sir."

"What??"

"You will call me Mister Cale or sir. I'm not one of your henchmen, and you will give me the respect I'm due."

Lt. Rex stood up angrily, shoving his chair back.

"Are you out of your mind?"As he made to go around the table towards Logan one of the other guards caught his arm and whispered furiously in his ear. After a few seconds the full meaning of Logan's arrogant demand sunk in, his eyes going wide as he paled.

"You said Cale...?"

"Yes. As in Cale Industries, Cale."

Lt. Rex turned to another guard and whispered, "I thought you said this kid's name was Guevera!?"

The guard answered, "She _is_, I never knew we were screwing with C.S.C.! I guess we all figured he wasn't actually a legit Cale!"

Rex snarled, "You hadn't thought that at the time? You-,"

"You hadn't noticed it either Rex." The guard mirrored Rex's pale face. They both knew exactly what C.S.C was, and who the Cales were.

While Logan despised the abuse his former social peers made of their power and wealth, the influence his Company's money and status afforded him was just another weapon, and the most effective here. Whatever Evie might have done, it wasn't serious enough to turn her to the Sector Police, and he would do anything in his now considerable power to keep it that way. If throwing money around and name-dropping got them safely away, he would choke down his self loathing and do it.

"So tell me, Lieutenant, what has my daughter done to deserve such treatment? Did she kill someone? Did she set a building on fire? Poisoned the city's water supply? What is it?"

"She...she was involved in a robbery."

"Did you see her do it? Where are the witnesses? Security footage? Where is the physical evidence? Show me the items she allegedly stole. NOW!"

The man flinched again. Logan was sure now that he had nothing to tie Evie to any crime, beyond being caught at the scene. They were planning to squeeze money out of him, before turning her in. He sighed inwardly with relief, they might yet get out of this safely.

"Well? I'm waiting, _Lieutenant_!" Logan pressed his advantage, knowing that he needed to get him to release Evie to them before he decided to bring in the Sector Police. Being a small firm, and as only involved a few guards he was fairly certain that the place robbed would be equally small, and more than likely eager to get things solved fast. Evie might get out of this mess just by paying the damages. But he needed to get Rex and his men to let go first, and the best way would be to scare them away, make them fear to cross one of Seattle elite.

"Well, for a man so certain of my little girl's guilt, you don't seem to have much to back it up. Tell you what, you release her to my custody, and have the business's owner contact me in the morning. I'm sure we can come to an arrangement that will result in everyone's best interest."

Logan put a small business card on the table, and scribbled his cellphone number in the back. He thanked his cousin's sense of humor; he had handed him a small stack of the things earlier that day, both as a joke and an enticement. The cards were the most expensive kind, and read _Logan Cale – Vice President – Cale Industries_. He also had handed him another one, this even more ornate, that read _President & CEO_, as a reminder of the all-too-real influence he now had in the company.

He kept glaring at Rex until he caved, and gave a curt order to one of the guards.

"Look...Mister Cale. Your daughter is the only suspect in the robbery, and we still don't know what was stolen, so-"

"Are you saying that you don't even have evidence that a robbery occurred??"

"The alarm was triggered, and there was a lot of damage done to the shop. The was jewelry strewn everywhere, so we wont be certain until a proper inventory can be made."

"Jewelry?"

"Yes. The robbery occurred at Anillo right on Brack-."

"Very well. Have them call me in the morning, and we'll sort it out. If there's nothing else...?"

Rex grounded his teeth in anger, but Logan had him cornered, and he knew it. With a curt nod he motioned to the guards to let Evie go.

Evie, however, wasn't very anxious to go to her parents. She fidgeted and kept her gaze on her hands, not moving from her spot on the metal table. Logan was about to speak to her when Max beat him to it.

**************

Max's gaze flickered between the men, openly admiring Logan as he forced Rex into submission. She knew Logan hated doing that, using his family's name and power to intimidate and abuse others, knew that he had fought long and hard to keep the privileged few from doing exactly that to Seattle's downtrodden...and she also knew Logan would do everything, _anything_ to protect her and Evie. Even becoming his own worst enemy.

She shook her head in amazement. Every time she thought she couldn't be more in love with him, he went and did shit like this.

'_He's sooo getting lucky tonight..._'

Reigning in her lust for the moment, she looked at Evie. When Rex ordered her released, Logan took a step towards her and motioned her to go to him, but she just sat there ignoring everything around her. Max stood and decided it was time for her to act.

"Eva Jace Cale! Get here _right now_!"

Evie flinched, darted a glance in her direction and stood, walking stiffly towards Logan. She was in trouble and knew it; Max refused to think about what might have happened if she had pull this stunt only a year before.

Logan would have had to call in favors from everyone he knew to get half as much done, and with the X-8's roaming Seattle looking for them he probably would've been too late. She forced herself to purge those ideas from her mind, and focused on her daughter. She was bruised, and had several cuts on her arms, but Max knew she would be fully healed in a few days. And while she hated the idea of anything happening to her daughter, she knew that at least this would keep her for getting in similar trouble, at least for a while.

Her last thoughts as they took Evie home was that not only she had tried to rob a jewelry store – Max suspected that she had indeed been involved, she looked too guilty – but she had gotten caught. Max snorted as she realized that this last part was what pissed her off more.

**************

When Max, Logan and Evie left the room, they were directed rudely towards the exit, and left alone.

Max was again fuming, angry at the disrespect shown by the guards, but knew that they had already won, and beating them up now, as rewarding as it sounded, would be a bad idea. Still, it wasn't until Logan put a comforting arm around her waist that she let her thoughts go. Sharing a small smile with her, Logan put his other hand on Evie's shoulder and they started walking out.

They were stopped by Rex. "Mr. Cale, you have to sign out your daughter before she can leave." Rex stood in front of them all, blocking the exit with his body.

"Of course I do," Logan patted Evie's shoulder and went to the barred window where a clipboard was located. He looked back at Max and Evie, "Max, maybe some fresh air would do well for you?"

She nodded and quickly walked through the doors, past the guards without a glance and into the early morning night. Logan knew she'd be pacing and thinking when they met up with her…

Evie sighed like a little girl and leaned against the white bricked walls tiredly. Her whole self looked in pain. Logan was still trying to cope and act like the hot shot rich man he despised. He tried not to reach out to his aching child and comfort her while these men stood around. Not that he cared what they thought; it was what Mr. Cale of C.I. would do. He would still be burningly frustrated, not fatherly in their sight. He set down the pen and nodded at the guards before laying a hand again on his daughter's shoulders. They began walking towards the exit.

As they approached the next row of interrogation rooms one of the doors opened, and the sound of angry voices was heard. It seemed another kid had gotten arrested, and the father had come to pick him up to find himself in the same situation as they had been earlier. Logan caught a glimpse of a tall, dark haired young man standing there, next to an older man that was arguing heatedly with the guards. Deciding not to press his luck, he quickened his pace.

**************

Evie saw the scene with little interest, until her nose caught a scent. It was...weird, strange yet somehow familiar...it reminded her of someone, but she felt that she knew the scent, that she should know it intimately. It made no sense, and it made her very nervous, agitated...and she had to admit, a little bit confused. Shaking her head clear, Evie let her father lead her out. She was in no right mind set to be thinking right now, so instead she sulked.

**************

Max paced, and paced and paced. Her right hand firmly pressed against her side, she continued her thinking dance.

'_Why in the hell? Evie is grounded. I go after all that trouble to keep her safe and she threw it in my damn face. But she didn't steal anything, I'm sure. What was the point? What if someone hears about this whole thing? Now we are different people, I'm married to Logan, my daughter was a breath away to going to the sector police and thrown right into a nice cell. I need a drink…'_

Max stopped her pacing and lifted her head. There was something in the air… something… _Evie? No…_

Her ears perked and she heard Logan and Evie's soft footsteps down the hall inside the building. She watched them come into the early misty air. Evie's eyes were extremely wide, whether that be with fear, embarrassment; Max didn't know. Her kid looked awful.

'_And she got caught! I suppose a little extra training on my part could have done her good. I should have taught her something in order to defend herself better. Now, she's a little Daddy's girl again. How extreme teenagers can be. The sad thing is, I was just out of that stage myself when I had her. Big events can change a person. Yet, she still got caught. I guess I knew something like this would have happened. But I neglected my motherly duties too long. I need to teach her better, and help her understand quickly, before it's way too late.'_

A/N: _**Feedback highly appreciated. We'll try to get next chapter posted within the next two weeks. **_

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